By TIM THORNBERRY
Kentucky Correspondent

LEXINGTON, Ky. — Cattle growers face another tough year, especially because of dry weather, but all the news isn’t bad as heifer replacement sales begin around the area.

One of the bigger events is the Annual Blue Ribbon Heifer Replacement Sale, which will be Oct. 25 at the Bluegrass Stock Yards. This year’s stock promises to be one of the best groups yet, according to one of the sale’s originators, David Taylor.

“We’ve really screened these heifers hard this year and I think they are truly the best we have ever had in the five years of this sale,” he said.

First, heifers are evaluated by a screening committee and a veterinarian, and then inspected by Kentucky Department of Agriculture Graders. “Due to the forage situation last year, we wanted to make sure these heifers were the best,” Taylor said.
Approximately 350 head have been consigned for the sale. As in the past, specific breeding criteria for the Angus bulls used in breeding and a vaccination warranty through the Range Ready program come with each sold heifer. That includes a birth weight expected progeny difference (EPD) of 1.5 or less and a calving ease EPD of +7 or higher.

Taylor said as far as he knows, this is the only sale in the state that offers these breeding stipulations. Calving ease EPDs and birth weight EPDs are general gauges for producers to determine how successful heifers will be in unassisted births. In some estimates, calving difficulties can cost U.S. producers $750 million annually. These mandatory standards for this sale would indicate a high expectancy of unassisted births for the heifers sold.

A producer from Franklin County, Taylor said though times are tough, good quality heifers are a necessity to keep the industry at a high level. Kentucky is the top cattle producing state east of the Mississippi River.

“I think these types of heifer sales are important because a buyer will be able to bring a better calf to market, and that’s important especially when the market is fluctuating,” he said. “I’ve found that even people just getting into the business want a quality animal with a good temperament. They like to be able to go out and walk around their cattle in the pasture.

“I’ve hand-fed my heifers out of a bucket and anything with a bad temperament does not go to the sale. Because of the criteria each heifer has to meet, chances are buyers will not have any problems, or at least it sure cuts the variables down of having any problems.”
A testament to the success of the sale is the number of repeat buyers who keep coming back. Taylor said they have regular customers from all over the country including Florida, Missouri and Virginia.

“It makes us feel good to know we have so many people that keep coming to the sale. It lets us know we have a good quality product,” he said. “I think we are going to have another good sale.”

Buyers will once again be able to bid on the heifers via the Internet, something that was a success last year to the tune of 20 percent of total sales, according to Taylor. “I think the Internet sales will do nothing but grow, because overall there are a lot of cattle, not just heifers, being sold that way. It just one of those things that has taken off,” he said.

Another benefit of the sale is that transportation up to 150 miles is free for those purchasing 12 or more heifers.

For those wishing to attend, the sale will begin at 6:30 p.m. Eastern Time and viewing will begin at 2 p.m. For more information, contact Jim Akers or Jim Gibson at Blue Grass Stockyards by calling 859-255-7701.